outside,
then grew fainter as the men separated, one ascending the stairway of
the tower, the other running along the balcony.

Jack was puzzled as to what next to do. From Roy Stone's brief
description of the Don's family, he guessed at the identities of the
two women. While he stood irresolute, the girl recovered from her
fright. Her dark eyes flashed, and she commanded him in an imperious
tone to lower his weapon.

"Not till you promise me not to shout, Miss," Jack said.

"Very well," said the girl. "But who are you? You cannot escape. My
father will capture you."

"Not if I can help it, Miss," said Jack grimly.

In the rapid march of events, the handkerchief with which he had
bound up his jaw had become loosened. Now it fell, revealing Jack's
handsome features and his close-clinging mop of dark curls.

"Why, you are just a boy," declared Rafaela, and her eyes lost some of
their hostility while at the same time, unconsciously, her voice
became less harsh.

"Surely," she said, turning to Donna Ana, "this lad can have done
nothing so terrible."

The prim, black-robed duenna had gained courage from her mistress's
temerity. She had ceased trembling. Yet she was exercised about
something. Jack could not understand why. Surely, she was no longer
fearful of him. She leaned closer to her young mistress, seated at a
low writing table, and whispered in her ear. Rafaela threw back her
head and laughed--a low, musical laugh that sounded fascinatingly
pleasant in Jack's ears, worried though he was.

"My dear Donna Ana," said the girl. "What if he is a man! And in my
room! Are you not here to watch over me? And I do not believe he will
bite. No, no. See, he is such a nice young man that I can chuck him
under the chin. So!"

And suiting action to words, the girl sprang from her chair, walked
swiftly across the room and chucked Jack under the chin.

To say that Jack was surprised would be a mild statement. From his
knowledge of Latin-American girls gathered in Peru, he believed those
of good family invariably were convent-bred and extremely decorous in
the presence of young men. He was so dazed at the girl's action that
her next move, which was a lightning-quick attempt to grasp his
revolver and wrest it from him, almost succeeded.

Jack retained a grip on the weapon, however, and managed to prevent
Rafaela from obtaining it. Foiled in her attempt, all her bravado
deserted her and running back to her chair, she sank